Blast From The Past....
by Melime-Elvenstar
Summary: Buffy meets a young girl. A young girl who has something to do with Giles’ past…
1. Prologue

1 Title: Blast from the Past  
  
2 Author: +Faith+  
  
E-mail: fate_exists@optusnet.com.au  
  
Disclaimer: Do you think that Angel would have his own show and Riley would even exist if I owned them? Of course not! Don't sue, they're not mine! Except Leigh Anne, Brian and Mrs. McDoug.  
  
Distribution: Ask and you shall receive!  
  
Spoilers: Their shouldn't be any… unless you haven't seen any episodes and have no idea who these characters are – if that's you, God help you, you poor soul!  
  
Summary: Buffy meets a young girl. A young girl who has something to do with Giles' past…  
  
Feedback: Pretty plz? Anyone who has read my other stories would know that I thrive on it – no feedback, no more stories! Do you want me to get down and beg? (  
  
Dedication: To all you lovely people who gave me so much feedback on 'Child of Love' (wow, there sure are a lot of you! When I look at this list I feel really special! ::hugs all:: thanx!) Shirlz, Emma, Krissy, Kate, Ryan, Nicola, Angela, Cat, Kasiya, Damia, Kay, Daniella, Kar, Brandy, Lori, Jo, Ariel, B and anyone else I forgot! (  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Prologue:  
  
Buffy spun around and had the satisfaction of watching the vamp turn to dust.  
  
"Good riddance to bad rubbish!" She muttered, brushing the dust of her jacket and straightening up her clothes. There was a bloodstain on her white halter-top and she sighed in annoyance.  
  
"Teach me to wear white I suppose!" Suddenly, the petite blonde Slayer froze as a yell cut through the air. She quickly followed the sound and ended up in a clearing not far from the graveyard she had been patrolling, just in time to see a young girl get thrown to the ground and a flash of purple light.  
  
Buffy headed straight to the girl who was already trying to stand up.  
  
"Whoa!" Buffy said, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders and gently pushing down. "You're not going anywhere!"  
  
"I can't, I mean, I have to…" The girl's voice drifted off as she finally gave in and layed back down.  
  
"Just rest for a minute." Buffy said and looked the girl over as she obeyed her. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with her other then a few scratches and bruises, and maybe a really bad headache. She waited for a few minutes, letting the girl calm down and catch her breath before asking any questions.  
  
"So…You wanna tell me what happened?" The girl shook her head painfully and Buffy helped her to her feet. "Ok…Do you want to tell me your name then?"  
  
"Leigh Anne." The girl replied, wincing as she put weight on her left ankle.  
  
"Sore huh?" The girl nodded again and Buffy grinned. "Trust me, I know how you feel. You got a place to stay tonight?"  
  
The girl chucked her a quick look before shaking her head.  
  
"New in town?" She nodded again. "Not much of a speaker are you?" Leigh Anne grinned and Buffy smiled back. "Come on, we'll get you to my house." Leigh Anne sent her a look of thanks.  
  
****************************** 


	2. Part 1

Part 1:  
  
"So you got this demon after you?" Buffy asked, bandaging Leigh Anne's ankle.  
  
Leigh Anne nodded, wincing as Buffy's hand moved over a particularly sore part.  
  
"Have you got any idea WHY this demon is after you?" Buffy watched the girl's face, waiting for her answer.  
  
"No." Leigh Anne replied, so fast that Buffy immediately became suspicious. There was something this girl wasn't telling her.  
  
"No idea?" Buffy asked again.  
  
"No idea." Leigh Anne repeated. "All I know is that I am going kill this thing."  
  
"Why?" Buffy asked. "If you don't know why it is after you, why are you so set about killing it?" Wrong question to ask! Buffy thought, as the teenage girl's face took on a pained look.  
  
"It killed my mother." Leigh Anne's voice was so soft that Buffy had to strain to her it.  
  
"Oh." Buffy said, immediately feeling uncomfortable. "Umm, do you know what this demon is?"  
  
Leigh Anne shook her head again and this time Buffy didn't pressure her for answers, the last question had obviously shook her up and there were tears still in her eyes.  
  
"Well, how about you stay here for the night and tomorrow I'll take you to see a friend of mine. He's pretty good with this kind of stuff, well finding out what kind of demon it is anyway. Think you can walk up to my room?"  
  
Leigh Anne looked towards the stairs leading up to Buffy's room then down at her ankle. She grinned. "I suppose I can only try!"  
  
She started to stand up and Buffy ran to help her. Leigh Anne immediately fell to the floor and both girls burst out laughing.  
  
"I guess I'll be staying here!" Leigh Anne said, still laughing.  
  
"I'll grab you some pillows and a blanket!" Buffy replied and went to do so, still laughing. As soon as Buffy left the room Leigh Anne sighed. This girl had been really nice to her so far but she couldn't rely on her forever. After tonight she had no idea what she was going to do. She had no money, nowhere to stay and no family. Her only known family had been her mother and Lithos had made sure that she was now alone in the world.  
  
Buffy returned and handed Leigh Anne the pillows and blankets she had grabbed from the hall closet.  
  
"Here, you can sleep on the couch. It's actually quite comfy believe it or not! If you need anything during the night just give a yell. Mum got called away for the weekend even though she was the reason I came here in the first place!" Seeing Leigh Anne's confused look she explained. "I usually stay in my college dorm."  
  
"Oh!" Leigh Anne said, a look of surprise on her face. "You're in college?"  
  
"Yeah," Buffy replied, laughing again. "You hungry?"  
  
Leigh Anne nodded, hoping she didn't look too eager. "Yeah." She admitted. "I am."  
  
"Then let's get some food!" Buffy said. "I'm starving!"  
  
The girls grinned at each other and set off to do something teenagers are excellent at: raiding the cupboard!  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Leigh Anne awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs.  
  
"Mm! What is that delicious smell?"  
  
"Oh as if you don't know!" Buffy replied, laughing again. "You better come and get it while it's hot and you also better being feeling pretty special. It takes a LOT to get me to cook!" In fact, the last time was with An… Buffy cut off that train of thought before it could cause her to change moods and brought in a plate filled with bacon and eggs to Leigh Anne.  
  
Buffy walked into the room to find Leigh Anne yawning and slowly sitting up.  
  
"Come on lazy bones! Up and at 'em!" Buffy grinned and pulled open the blinds. Leigh Anne groaned.  
  
"That's EXACTLY what my mum used to do!" She said rubbing her eyes. "Did you take lesson's from her or something?"  
  
Buffy watched Leigh Anne carefully, to see if she was supposed to answer or not, considering how sensitive the subject was. Leigh Anne caught sight of the food and grinned.  
  
"This looks delicious!" She said and started digging in. Buffy decided not to say anything and started in on her breakfast too.  
  
The girls finished breakfast at about 10 o'clock but didn't end up arriving at Giles' until about lunchtime, thanks to Leigh Anne's sprained ankle. They knocked on his door and Buffy decided to fill Leigh Anne in on why she was out fighting demons.  
  
"Umm, Leigh Anne?"  
  
"Yeah?" Leigh Anne answered, grinning. Her and Buffy had really been getting on and she really liked her.  
  
"Umm, aren't you wandering why I was fighting demons and stuff last night?" Without waiting for Leigh Anne to answer, Buffy continued. "I'm ah, the umm, Slayer."  
  
"I thought so." Leigh Anne replied without batting an eyelid and Buffy stood there, started and extremely surprised. She knows? Buffy thought. How can she know?  
  
Buffy started to question Leigh Anne's answer but she was interrupted by Giles' voice calling out to them to come in. They had rung earlier that morning to explain the situation and so Giles knew who it was.  
  
"A little late aren't we?" Giles called from the other room as the girls entered the house.  
  
"We have an injury Giles!" Buffy called back and went in search of her ex- Watcher. Leigh Anne followed her, a strange look on her face.  
  
Giles was sitting in his study area and he stood up when he heard the girls come in. He turned around to greet the girls.  
  
And Leigh Anne froze.  
  
****************************** 


	3. Part 2

Part 2:  
  
Giles' froze, arm halfway extended in greeting, at the look on Leigh Anne's face. Buffy noticed it as well and looked at Leigh Anne, a questioning look on her face.  
  
"Are you ok?" There was no answer. "Leigh Anne?"  
  
Finally the young girl spoke, her voice a whisper and her eyes still focused on Giles.  
  
"You have no idea who I am do you?"  
  
Giles looked the young girl over, his forehead burrowed with thought. He recognised her from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place her. "Have – Have we met?"  
  
He took off his glasses and cleaned them, something he did when he was nervous, worried or deep in thought. Leigh Anne slowly lifted her hands to her neck and Buffy noticed for the first time, a small silver locket around her neck. She watched as Leigh Anne undid the necklace and took it off. The young girl extended her hand, the locket dangling from her fingers and Giles slowly took it. He waited for a few moments; just looking at Leigh Anne then opened it. He froze and Leigh Anne slowly turned around, heading back towards the door. Giles' voice was almost a whisper when he spoke.  
  
"Leigh - Leigh Anne?"  
  
The young girl froze in her tracks and there were tears in her eyes. Buffy could see she was debating with herself whether to turn around or not. She slowly did so, her eyes downcast, trying to hide her tears.  
  
"I had no idea." Giles said, speaking strangely, as though it was difficult to speak. "I should have known, I mean, you look so much like her and…" He trailed off and cleared his throat. There was an uncomfortable silence and Buffy was probably the most uncomfortable of all.  
  
Suddenly an alarm clock sounded and Giles cursed under his breath. He looked towards Leigh Anne and sighed then turned to Buffy.  
  
"I have to go somewhere for a minute Buffy. Just, stay here ok? I'll be back soon." He turned back to Leigh Anne and gave her a small nervous smile. "Stay here?"  
  
Leigh Anne nodded and looked at the ground again. "Okay."  
  
Giles left the room, but not before taking one last backward glance at the teenager waiting in his study. His daughter.  
  
**************************************** 


	4. Part 3

Part 3:  
  
Buffy stood there in shock, trying to work out what was going on and Leigh Anne simply sat down on the couch, her mind obviously not on the same train of thought Buffy's was. Buffy walked towards her and noticed that the young girl's eyes were misted over.  
  
"Leigh Anne?" Buffy asked quietly.  
  
Leigh Anne jumped, startled and she had obviously forgotten Buffy was even in the room. She turned to her now and her tears overflowed onto her cheeks.  
  
"Oh Buffy!" Leigh Anne started sobbing and Buffy sat next to her, holding her in a hug and Buffy simply let her cry. It was something the young girl had wanted to do for a while and there was no way Buffy was going to stop her now.  
  
After a few moments of let out all her hidden emotions, Leigh Anne quietened down and Buffy turned her around so that they were face to face.  
  
"You want to explain to me what's going on?" Buffy asked, looking Leigh Anne straight in the eyes.  
  
"No." Leigh Anne said quietly, looking away.  
  
"Leigh Anne!"  
  
"Okay!" Leigh Anne sighed, and pointed towards Giles' desk. Buffy got up and walked towards it, finding Leigh Anne's locket sitting undone on top. Giles had dropped it there in his hurry to leave, not even taking the time to do it up.  
  
Buffy picked it up by the chain and gently caught the actual locket piece in her hand. She spun it around so that she could see the inside and gasped.  
  
Inside was a picture of a beautiful women…and a picture of a very young Giles.  
  
After a few minutes pause, Buffy finally spoke. "You look like her."  
  
Leigh Anne smiled. "That's my mum."  
  
"She's very beautiful."  
  
Leigh Anne just simply smiled again and waited for Buffy's reaction to the other picture.  
  
"It's Giles isn't it?" Leigh Anne nodded.  
  
"He's your dad isn't he?" Leigh Anne nodded again and Buffy left out a deep breath.  
  
"Wow. I mean, I never thought of Giles as being, well, a dad!" She looked at Leigh Anne, trying to work out how Leigh Anne and her mother had fitted into the small part of Giles' life that he had told her about. As if she had read her mind, Leigh Anne started explaining, her voice quiet but steady.  
  
"She was his first Slayer. They fell in love but didn't let anyone know. It was forbidden by the Watcher's Council and when they found out about me they," She cleared her throat and looked as though she wasn't going to go on. "They sent my father off to another Slayer and, well I guess you could say they fired my mother. They ordered her to have an abortion and when she refused they acted as if she had died, calling upon a new Slayer and pretended that she had never existed. They ordered my father to stay away from her, on the penalty of death. So I grew up without a father."  
  
Buffy watched Leigh Anne wipe her eyes and had the feeling she had something more to say. Sure enough, she continued, her voice taking on an affectionate tone.  
  
"I do remember one time though." She said, smiling. "I was probably about 3 and Mum woke me up at about midnight and told me to be very quiet and not wake anyone up. We crept out of the house, with her holding me in her arms and me holding my doll, Sara. I remember asking her "Where are we going Mama?" and she said that we were going to meet Daddy. It was the first and only time I saw him because the Council found out. He used to always send us things when he could though, and he was the one who sent me this locket, on my forth birthday."  
  
Buffy smiled. Typical Giles, he never would shirk his duty.  
  
"He must have really loved you both." Buffy said. "And if I had any doubts as to whether Giles would help you, they are definitely gone now. I just can't believe he never told me!" Buffy shook her head and suddenly jumped, hearing a voice from the doorway.  
  
"I didn't want to put Alyssa and Leigh Anne in danger." Giles said, his voice quiet. "If I told anyone the Council would have surely found out. They kicked up the biggest stink you could ever imagine about it, even bigger than the one they kicked up about you and Angel." Giles looked towards his daughter but spoke to Buffy. "I think we need to be alone for a while Buffy. Could you…?"  
  
He left the sentence hanging and Buffy nodded. "I'll, umm, speak to the gang, explain the situation. We'll meet here later to talk, is that okay with you?"  
  
Giles nodded and Buffy left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She had a feeling those two had a LOT to talk about…  
  
********************************* 


	5. Part 4

Part 4:  
  
"Giles WHAT!" Willow cried, causing Buffy to pull the phone away from her ear.  
  
"Look Will, I'm sure Giles will explain when we…" Buffy was cut of by Willow's unusually loud voice.  
  
"He'd better! I can't believe he kept something like that from us!" Willow fumed. Then she sighed and lowered her voice. "I suppose he had good reason though."  
  
"He really did Will." Buffy replied her voice quiet.  
  
"Okay then." Willow said. "I forgive him."  
  
She switched the phone to her other ear and stood up from her computer. She collapsed onto her bed and listened to Buffy for a few more minutes.  
  
"Okay. So do you want me to call Xander?"  
  
"That'd be great! Thanks Will."  
  
"No problem. I'll see you tonight then?"  
  
"Sure thing!"  
  
"Okay, bye Buff!" Willow hung up and looked at the now silent phone. "This ought to be interesting!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Later on:  
  
Buffy walked up the driveway of Giles' house to find the rest of the gang waiting nervously outside the door. She grinned.  
  
"Why are you all standing out here?" Buffy said and the gang turned around to see their favourite Slayer walking up to them.  
  
"We decided to wait until you got here." Willow said sheepishly.  
  
"Yeah," Xander agreed. "We have no idea what to say to him. I mean, we just found out he's been keeping the biggest secret he's got from us and what does he want us to do? Walk in and have a cup of tea and accept it like nothing happened?" Xander was fuming and Buffy couldn't blame him.  
  
"Hey, calm down mate!" Spike said and Buffy looked at him in surprise, he was actually sticking up for someone. "He's had it hard too ya know! He probably wanted to tell you but didn't want to put their lives in danger and OH MY GOD what am I saying? I'm sticking up for the old tweed guy!"  
  
With that, Spike turned around and left them standing at the doorway, muttering under his breath.  
  
"My god, Dru was right! I am turning soft!"  
  
The gang watched him leave in amusement then Buffy turned back to face them all.  
  
"She's really nice. You guys will like her. Try to behave Xander, be nice to her and don't give Giles a hard time, it's not his fault."  
  
"Not his fault!" Xander cried. "What, did the girl's mother have an immaculate conception?"  
  
"Xander!" Buffy and Willow cried at the same time.  
  
"What?!" Xander replied, looking sheepish now.  
  
Buffy went to reply but was interrupted by the door opening. All eyes turned to the door as Leigh Anne stepped out.  
  
"Buffy!" The teenager ran over to the one face she recognised and gave her a hug.  
  
"Hey Leigh Anne!" Buffy replied, hugging her back, picking up on how nervous the young girl was.  
  
"They all hate me, don't they?" Leigh Anne whispered nervously in Buffy's ear.  
  
Buffy chuckled. "They don't hate you Leigh Anne! Come on, let's get inside, we got a demon to find."  
  
The gang filed in after Buffy Leigh Anne and Xander changed his mind about the 16-year-old. She was looking gorgeous in a light blue singlet top of Buffy's and a pair of leather pants, also Buffy's. Anya caught Xander looking at Leigh Anne and whacked him on the arm. Xander howled in pain and cursed under his breath.  
  
"Well she didn't get her fashion sense from her father!" Willow said quietly, trying to lift the mood. Buffy heard the remark and grinned, she had been thinking the exact same thing. She had been surprised that Giles hadn't chucked a fit when he had seen Leigh Anne that morning.  
  
"I should probably take offence at that!" Came Giles' quiet voice from the other room.  
  
"Giles! I ah umm…" Willow stammered, trying to think up something to say.  
  
Giles laughed, something that didn't happen often. "Never mind Willow. Come inside all of you. We have a demon to catch."  
  
The gang, including Leigh Anne, settled themselves into their usual places around Giles' living room. There was an uncomfortable silence, which Giles finally broke by clearing his throat.  
  
"I ah guess you all have a lot of questions. I will happily answer them but after which catch this demon. Until it is dead, Leigh Anne's life is in danger. Agreed?" The gang nodded and Giles continued, looking at Leigh Anne and occasionally Buffy. "Now, this demon, Lithos, is extremely dangerous. I am still trying to work out a sure-fire way to destroy him and any help in that area will be appreciated." He looked at Willow who nodded and then at Xander who agreed less enthusiastically. "Buffy, I need you to patrol as usual and take Leigh Anne with you." He saw the look of uncertain of Buffy's face and turned to look at Leigh Anne, smiling. "Don't worry, she knows how to fight. She was taught by one of the best Slayer's ever."  
  
Xander opened his mouth to speak but Buffy silenced him with a look. This was not the best time for one of his wisecracks. Giles saw this but pretended he didn't.  
  
"Okay, let's go to work. Willow, can you go on the 'Net and Xander, hit the books with me."  
  
The gang started to head off to their various jobs but they were stopped by the sound of Anya's voice.  
  
"Hey! What am I supposed to do?" She asked indignantly.  
  
Xander turned to his ex-demon girlfriend and grinned. "Just stand there and look pretty honey."  
  
Anya stuck out her tongue and headed towards the books. "I can read you know!"  
  
"Fine, you help Xander in the book research." Giles said, not looking up from the book he was scanning through.  
  
Leigh Anne and Buffy grinned and left, leaving the rest of the gang to their research. There was silence; everyone was wrapped up in his or her work, until it was interrupted by Anya.  
  
"Ah, what are we looking for?"  
  
************************* 


	6. Part 5

Part 5:  
  
Buffy and Leigh Anne slowly walked around the graveyard, surprised about how quiet it was. Leigh Anne kept looking around nervously and Buffy felt sorry for the girl.  
  
"Ah, Buffy?"  
  
"Yeah?" Buffy asked, without turning around.  
  
"What are we gonna do if we run into him? Lithos I mean?"  
  
"Fight him for as long as we can and hopefully scare him away or kill him." Buffy replied and spotted a few newbie vamps across the other side of the graveyard. "Wait here ok? I'll be back." With that she ran off, leaving Leigh Anne waiting near a grave surrounded by shrubbery.  
  
"Sure thing." Leigh Anne said to Buffy's back. "Doesn't look like I have a choice!" She said, grinning.  
  
Suddenly a hand clamped over her mouth, and Leigh Anne breathed in the definite stench of chloroform. She struggled against her captor but it was in vain. Whoever it was had muscles of steel and as her world went black she remembered thinking Lithos…  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Buffy staked the vamps and stood up. She tried to think of some smart comment to say but her mind was blank.  
  
"Gotta do something bout that!" She muttered under her breath. "Can have them just turning to dust without getting a last word in!"  
  
She turned around, heading back towards the area she had left Leigh Anne. All she could see was the black shadows of night.  
  
"Leigh Anne?" She looked around, hearing no answer and began panicking, something unusual for her. "Leigh Anne where are you? If this is some kind of joke it isn't funny!"  
  
Still there was no answer and the first thought to cross the Slayer's mind was the last thought to cross Leigh Anne's…Lithos.  
  
************************* 


	7. Part 6

Part 6:  
  
Leigh Anne woke up to find herself in a dark room, a hotel room, and for a moment was confused as to how she got there. She sat up and felt a sharp pain to her left shoulder and everything came rushing back. She had been kidnapped.  
  
She looked around the room, looking for a way to escape. It was hopeless. Sure, the guy who was obviously supposed to be watching her was asleep in a chair seated near the door but she figured that even if she could get past him, their was probably another guard waiting outside the door. And he was probably awake and, if he was anything like the person who had kidnapped her, very strong.  
  
She rubbed her shoulder, which was aching from the attack yesterday. Or at least she thought it was yesterday. She had no watch and there was no clock in the room so she had no idea what time it was.  
  
The guy in the chair stirred and Leigh Anne froze. There was no way she wanted to wake him. She knew that he would awaken sometime, but the longer it was put off the better!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Buffy sprinted from the graveyard, her sacred duties forgotten. The only thing she cared about now was getting to Giles. She had no idea where Leigh Anne had been taken and she had no idea just how long she had to find her. Buffy had come to the conclusion that Leigh Anne had definitely been taken, there was no way she would have stayed hidden that long. In fact, Buffy doubted that Leigh Anne would have hidden in the first place.  
  
She arrived, panting, at Giles' house and banged on the door until she could hear footsteps. Giles answered the door, angry, but his anger turned to concern when he saw Buffy.  
  
"Buffy! What the…"  
  
"It's Leigh Anne!" Buffy managed to get out. "She's gone."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Leigh Anne stared at the ceiling and wondered how much time had past. The guard was awake now and watching her intently.  
  
She sighed and went to sit up, but the guard gave her a look and she layed back down again. Not that she minded – she was still a bit woozy from the chloroform and her shoulder was throbbing like crazy.  
  
Suddenly the door burst open and the guard toppled over, chair and all. A tall, dark man stood in the doorway and he looked down at the guard in disgust.  
  
"Get up Samson. We have work to do."  
  
Samson got up and the tall man turned to face Leigh Anne. She right back at him, not through boldness but through fear, she dared not look away. He continued to look at her but spoke to his accomplice.  
  
"Get the girl. We need to get out of here, they have probably worked out she is gone by now. We need to be out of town by sunrise."  
  
Leigh Anne froze at his words but Samson simply nodded and started towards her.  
  
"Yes boss." He grabbed hold of Leigh Anne by the shoulders and she winced in pain. The man's grip was like steel and the fact that her shoulder was already sore didn't help. He began to tie her wrists together behind her back, still speaking to the man he called Boss. "Where are we going to?"  
  
He pulled her to her feet and she winced again, this time because of the pain that shot through her still sore ankle. The tall man chuckled at her pain and spoke to Samson.  
  
"I think you went a bit too hard on her last night Samson."  
  
Samson laughed and pushed her cruelly forward and she almost toppled over. She regained her footing, however and stood up as straight as she could. So it was Samson last night!  
  
The tall man laughed again at her effects to appear tough. "We will be heading home Samson and you will receive your reward for your efforts there."  
  
Samson gave the man a greedy grin and started to push Leigh Anne towards the door. "What are we waiting for then? Let's get going!"  
  
************************ 


	8. Part 7

Part 7:  
  
"What?" Giles cried, looking at Buffy with pain in his eyes. "How could you let her…I mean, what happened? Where is she? Who or what took her? Was it Lithos?"  
  
Buffy looked at Giles grimly. "I don't know. I just went to stake a few newborn vamps and when I came back she was gone! I didn't hear a thing and I have a feeling that if it was Lithos he would have just killed her, right? Not kidnapped her. But I have no idea who else it could be!" Buffy groaned in frustration and looked at Giles with tears in her eyes. "I am so sorry Giles." She said, her voice a whisper. "I know how much this is hurting you and I am so sorry."  
  
"It isn't your fault." Giles said gruffly as though holding back emotions. "I shouldn't have sent her out with you, I knew the risks and what a dangerous demon this Lithos is…"  
  
"You can't blame yourself Giles and neither can you Buffy. It is no ones fault, except maybe mine and sitting around here blaming yourselves isn't going to get her back, is it?"  
  
Giles watched as Buffy's eyes went round and for a moment he thought her legs wouldn't hold her up anymore. She regained her composure however and turned around, the shock still showing on her face.  
  
"A-Angel?" She looked at him suspiciously now. "What are you doing here and what do you mean by 'it's no one's fault except maybe mine'?"  
  
Angel looked at the petite, blonde Slayer, his heart aching. He longed to take her in his arms and hold her, tell her all about the last day they had saw each other. But he resisted the temptation and turned his mind onto the reason he was here – business.  
  
"It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later, after we get Leigh Anne back. Rupert, where would the Council take a prisoner?" He started to walk past the Watcher and Slayer, who were still looking at him in surprise but the voice of his soulmate stopped him.  
  
"Okay, (a) How do you know about Leigh Anne? (b) What has the Council got to do with this and (c) I just love long stories!" Buffy stared at Angel, daring him not to answer her. He sighed and looked towards Giles.  
  
"Fine, but can we go inside please? And we better make it quick." He walked inside, Giles and Buffy following him. He walked into the study and the rest of the Scoobies looked up in surprise. Willow and Xander's mouths dropped open and Anya got a questioning look on her face.  
  
"Hey isn't that the guy that Buffy…" Anya was cut off by Xander's hand being clamped over her mouth and after a few moments of struggle she quietened down and Xander removed his hand.  
  
No one dared ask the question that was all on their minds Why is he here? and so they sat there silently, waiting for everything to be explained.  
  
After a few minutes of awkward silence, during which Buffy sent Angel death stares and waited for him to explain himself, Angel finally opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Giles.  
  
"How do you know about Leigh Anne?" His voice was quiet but stern and the gang knew that he meant business.  
  
"He knows about Leigh Anne?" Xander cried and turned an accusing stare onto Buffy. "Have you been dropping over to LA lately?"  
  
"No!" Buffy cried angrily. If looks could kill, Xander would have been blown off the face of the planet! Willow thought, watching her best friend's face in amusement.  
  
"We don't have time for this!" Angel cried, in an unusually loud voice, or at least for him. Buffy jumped, not used to hearing him speak like that and immediately felt guilty. Giles' daughter was missing and all she and Xander could do was bicker.  
  
Angel began speaking, not waiting for either parties concerned to apologise. "I don't have time to explain in detail why I am here, I can do that later. Let's just say I was asked to look over Leigh Anne and I haven't."  
  
Angel's face was emotionless but Buffy could see the pain in his eyes. So that's why he thinks this is his fault. He continued speaking, not looking at everyone but Giles now.  
  
"About the Council thing. That's who has her. We have to find her and soon, or who knows what will happen to her."  
  
The gang watched as Giles' face was drained of its colour and Xander turned to Willow grimly.  
  
"So it's not the demon who killed her mother who has her but our wonderful friends in England who are supposed to be on our side."  
  
Willow nodded, her eyes still on Giles' pale face.  
  
"They aren't on my side." Giles said softly. "Or on Leigh Anne's. To them she is a problem to be dealt with. She is a mistake that should have never happened. It is completely illegal, I guess you could say, for a Slayer to get pregnant. It puts not only her life in danger, but also that of all civilisation. For the father to be a Watcher isn't even heard of. I was a disgrace to them and I was lucky they didn't fire me and have me locked up for the remainder of my life. Leigh Anne and her mother have been running for the Council for her whole life and they have finally caught up with her."  
  
Silence reigned again as everyone let this news sink in. Finally Xander stood up and all eyed turned to him.  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Leigh Anne stared straight ahead, at Samson, who was asleep again. She sighed and looked out the window. She had absolutely no idea how she was going to get out of this but at least as long as they were on the train she wasn't tied up.  
  
Leigh Anne looked around the carriage and wondered if there was anyway she could get off the train without killing herself. It didn't look like it. Damn! These few minutes will the tall guy was away were probably the only minutes she had to escape. She had no chance of getting help from anyone else on the train because the tall guy, Boss as Samson called him, had booked the entire carriage. Leigh Anne had no idea how he had managed that but he had.  
  
Suddenly the door burst opened and the tall guy strolled in. He hit Samson on the head and grabbed Leigh Anne roughly. He grinned at her and she noticed for the first time just how evil his grin was.  
  
"This is our stop."  
  
*************** 


	9. Part 8

Part 8:  
  
The gang jumped into Angel's car, the anonymous vote being that it was quicker then Giles'. Xander, Willow, Anya and Giles all managed to squeeze into the back, all weapons being placed in the boot. Buffy sat in the front passenger seat and Angel was driving, Buffy tried not to think how close Angel was to her and keep her mind on business but it was awfully hard.  
  
The drive was mostly silent, the only sound being Angel speaking.  
  
"I guess you all want to know what I meant before huh?"  
  
There was a chorus of nods and Angel sighed.  
  
"Okay, here goes nothing." He looked towards Giles nervously, not knowing whether he would like this or not. "It all started after Rupert was forced to leave Alyssa and Leigh Anne…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Thank you ever so much, sir." The tall guy said to the stationmaster. "I really appreciate that you care about your passengers."  
  
"Anytime!" The stationmaster said and looked sympathetically towards the car in which Samson and Leigh Anne sat. "I hope your niece had a comfortable trip and whatever is wrong with her is found out soon."  
  
The tall guy nodded and wiped a tear from his eye. Leigh Anne snorted in disgust. This guy was actually enjoying making someone feel sorry for them. Samson pinched her arm cruelly and she shut up, after sending him a dirty look.  
  
The tall guy (she still hadn't found out his name) slid into the seat next to her so she was sandwiched between them both and ordered the driver to go. Leigh Anne tried to look out the windows, to find out where exactly they were but they were heavily tinted and there was no way she could see out them.  
  
She sighed and looked at the floor. It had an intricate patten on it and she set about counting how many triangles she could find. She hoped Buffy and her father came soon.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"The PTB sent you to watch over my daughter and wife?" Giles asked in shock.  
  
Angel nodded grimly, his eyes still on the road. He had a feeling that Giles wasn't going to like this but it was before they had even met so surely he would understand. He looked in the mirror to see Giles staring out the window, shaking his head.  
  
"Why did you stop?" He suddenly spluttered out angrily. "Because you didn't continue to watch them, Alyssa is dead and Leigh Anne very well might be."  
  
Angel flinched as though Giles had hit him. So he's not mad that I was looking after them, he's mad that I stopped.  
  
"I moved here Giles. I had to watch over Buffy. Gregory was supposed to watch them, I have no idea what happened to him."  
  
He looked back into the mirror again, to see Giles fuming silently. "I'm sorry Giles, I did all I could, when I could. If I knew this was going to happen I would have tried to stop it, you know I would. I tried to keep in contact with Alyssa but as they keep moving, I couldn't."  
  
Giles still said nothing and Angel sighed again. "I need you to speak to me Giles. In order to find your daughter I need to know where the Council would take such a prisoner." He went to say more but was interrupted by Buffy, who had so far been silent but couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"Giles! For God's sake, stop acting like a child! You are a full grown adult and your daughter is missing. In the short time we have known her we have all come to like Leigh Anne and we want her back. The only way we can do that is with your help. Now please, answer Angel."  
  
Giles slowly turned from the window and Buffy could see tears misting his eyes. He took off his glasses and cleaned them, making the gang feel a bit better. At least he was doing normal things now.  
  
"I'm sorry Buffy, I…" He looked the young girl he still classified as his Slayer in the eyes and sighed. "I just don't think I can handle this."  
  
He took a deep breath and turned to face Angel. "England, the Council Headquarters. They have a sort of prison area there; they were going to take Faith there. That's where they'll take her."  
  
Buffy sighed, Xander groaned and Angel's face took on a determined look.  
  
"How are we going to get to England?" Anya asked quietly and Buffy looked at her in surprise, she had been so quiet that everyone had forgotten she was there. Will wonders never cease? Buffy thought in surprise.  
  
"We'll drive as far as we can go then get on the next boat." Angel said, his jaw set.  
  
"Angel, we can't! I mean, sunlight and…and we have no money!" Buffy cried and slumped back in her seat. They were pretty much defeated. How on Earth were they going to get to England?  
  
"The Ghost Roads!"  
  
"What?" Everyone turned to face Willow including Angel, and the car swung to the right. He managed to get it back under control and sent Buffy a sheepish grin.  
  
"Lucky we're not on a main road!" Buffy said, returning his grin with a cheeky one and for a moment the old spark was there.  
  
"The Ghost Roads." Willow repeated and Buffy jumped out of her daydream and turned back to face her witchy best friend.  
  
"Willow, that's a great idea!" Buffy replied, catching on to what she meant. "I'll go."  
  
"I'll come with you." Angel replied, pulling the car to rest in an alley. Seeing Buffy about to protest he raised his hand. "You are not going to stop me Buffy Anne Summers. I am going and that is that!"  
  
Buffy closed her mouth and sat back in her seat sulkily. In truth, she was glad he was coming, she didn't want to go alone, but there was no way she was going to let him know that.  
  
Angel turned to Willow again. "What are we going to need?"  
  
Willow rattled off a list of items they would need to open up a portal to the Ghost Roads and Angel started up the car again.  
  
"Let's hope there's a magic shop around here!" Xander said and everyone in the car crossed their fingers and prayed.  
  
******************** 


	10. Part 9

Part 9:  
  
Samson closed his eyes. He hated flying: it always made him sick.  
  
He looked over at the young girl, their prisoner. She had fallen asleep and was obviously having a nightmare. He felt sorry for the girl: he had a daughter the same age back home and if anything like this happened to her he wouldn't be able to live. The fate in store for this young lady was not going to be nice – he knew the Council wasn't too happy with her.  
  
He sighed and settled back into his seat on the personal Council aeroplane. There was nothing he could do – he had been given and a job and that job was almost finished. He expected a great reward too – the Council were known for their generosity if a job was done well.  
  
Samson took one last look at the girl and closed his eyes. Boss had told him to keep awake and watch the girl at all times, but she was asleep and the Boss wasn't here. Samson was extremely tired and a few minutes shut-eye surely wouldn't hurt…  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Willow closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She centred herself and focused on what she wanted to do. She let out her breath and began to speak quietly in Latin. Slowly her voice began to get louder and in front of their very eyes, a rip appeared in the sky and all that could be seen through it was a never-ending grey space.  
  
Buffy took a deep breath and stepped towards the portal. She remembered the terror of first entering the Ghost Roads and shiver was sent down her spine. As though he could read her mind, Angel stepped forward without a word and grabbed her small warm hand in his large cold one. She smiled gratefully and together, hand in hand; they stepped into he portal that would take them to the Ghost Roads.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Samson was awoken by the feeling of sharp pain across the back of his head. It took him a moment to work out where he was but as soon as he did he realised that his Boss had come back and caught him sleeping. And woken him up with a slap across the head.  
  
He groaned and sat up. His boss glared at him from where he was standing, next to the girl, about to wake her up.  
  
"Next time listen to my instructions more carefully fool. Help me with the girl, this is where we get off."  
  
Samson walked over to his Boss, still rubbing his head and grabbed the girl and forced her to her feet in one simple movement. Her eyes snapped open and a moan escaped from her lips. Samson grinned and his Boss looked on in amusement. The girl had been given the rough treatment from Samson yesterday when she tried to escape them at the airport. The Council would not be too please when the saw her as she was looking a lot worse for wear and Samson would get the blame.  
  
They walked off the plane, Samson's grip on Leigh Anne as strong as steel, causing her to wince. There was no way she was going to try anything again, not after yesterday, but Samson wasn't taking any chances.  
  
They reached a dark car out front of the airport, obviously waiting for them, and Leigh Anne was roughly pushed in the back. The door was slammed behind her and there was the sound of people getting in and out of the car. But Leigh Anne hardly heard a thing as the pain became too much to bear and unconsciousness clutched her in its grip. She closed her eyes thankfully and her world turned black.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well, here we go again!" Buffy thought as she looked around her at the bleak gray space. "Another trip on the ever so delightful Ghost Roads."  
  
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, a solid road formed beneath her feet and she could see Angel standing not too far away.  
  
"Well you turned up faster then you did last time." Angel said, a slight grin on his face. Buffy gave a small, worried grin back and Angel walked over to wrap her in his arms. She started to fight him but gave in, resting her head on his shoulder, always aware of his closeness. They stood there a moment until Buffy finally pulled away.  
  
"We had better get going." Angel nodded and they turned to face the direction they had headed in last time they travelled to England this way. Angel closed his eyes and paused for a moment. Buffy noticed this and stopped, placing her hand on his arm.  
  
"Angel?"  
  
His eyes flickered open and he smiled sadly at her, his smile full of pain.  
  
"They're here, all of them." He said, his voice quiet but shaking, showing his pain. "They are all calling out to me, asking me why." His voice broke and a single tear ran down his cheek.  
  
Buffy's heart ached as she looked at him standing there, weeping for the lives he had taken.  
  
"You can't listen to them Angel. We won't make it through here unless you ignore them."  
  
Her Angel nodded, his pain still evident in his eyes. She took his hand and that one small action seemed to give him strength. He set his jaw and started walking, his true love by his side.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Leigh Anne's eyes flickered painfully open, she found herself in yet another strange surrounding. She tried to sit up and had to bite her lip from crying out. Her hands and feet were tied with rope and her various bruises and cuts were aching from the sudden movement after hours of lying still. She could feel a trickle of blood from a fresh cut on her forehead run down her face and wished that she could pass out again. But unconsciousness didn't come and she tried again to sit up. This time she succeeded and after a moment of pain she looked around the room in which she was prisoner.  
  
And a prisoner she truly was. The walls were gray and there was not a window in sight. The floor on which she had layed for God knows how long was cold concrete and there were a few chains hanging from the wall. The door was thick metal with a little slide window that was currently closed. As Leigh Anne sighed in despair she realised the awful truth – this was a prison or dungeon of some sort.  
  
Suddenly there was a crash from outside and the door burst open.  
  
"Hey Leigh Anne, how ya doing?"  
  
******************** 


	11. Part 10

Part 10:  
  
Buffy let out a little cry and ran forward, ignoring the cries of the lost and wandering. Ahead of them was a rip in the gray and through it she could see the misty streets of England. She ran towards it and Angel followed with a feeling of relief. He had began to give up, not knowing how much longer he could take the cries of pain and anger of those around him he recognised.  
  
Buffy reached the portal first and turned back to face the vampire.  
  
"We made it!" She cried, looking as though she was about to burst into tears. They were both worn out from walking the Road so long and both were extremely grateful to finally have reached their destination, even though they both knew that there was a harder time up ahead.  
  
Angel nodded and, finally having caught up with her, clutched her hand in his and they stepped through the portal together, into the foggy streets of London.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Leigh Anne gasped as she looked at the figure standing in the doorway and her eyes filled with tears.  
  
"Brian, thank God!"  
  
The young man ran over to where Leigh Anne was seated and took her in his arms. Tears immediately began to fall from her eyes and left wet patches on his shirt. After a few moments of letting her cry, Brian pulled away and looked Leigh Anne in the eyes.  
  
"Shit!" He said, his voice a whisper. "What the hell did they do to you?"  
  
His hand ran over the cuts on her face and she looked away. But he had already seen the pain in her eyes and he ached for her.  
  
"Come on Leigh." He said, lifting her chin. "We're getting out of here."  
  
Leigh Anne smiled at him gratefully, a smile that wavered as another tear ran down her cheeks. He wiped them away and slowly turned her around, taking a knife out of his pocket.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Ah huh. *Pause* Ah huh." Buffy said into the payphone. "Ah huh."  
  
Angel almost burst out laughing and it came out as a little chuckle and Buffy chucked him a look.  
  
"If you're gonna just stand there laughing, at least be useful and write down what I tell you." Angel nodded and almost laugh again when he heard Buffy speak again. "No, not you Giles, Angel. What? No! Oh, never mind." She turned to face Angel again and handed him a piece of paper and a stubby pencil, both that had conveniently left in the phone box. "Here, use these and shut up. No, not you Giles! Oh, just give me the address!" Buffy listened intently to what Giles said and repeated it so Angel could copy it down. "Okay, thanks Giles. My money is gonna run out so I'll call later ok?"  
  
With that, she hung up and turned to face Angel.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
***  
  
Buffy and Angel crept silently into the building, which loomed dark and dangerous looking in the dark of night. They had only met one guard so far, at the gates and he was now lying in the bushes, unconscious.  
  
Angel opened the door silently and after looking around he nodded and signalled for Buffy to follow him. After a last look around, she walked in the doorway and followed Angel down the hall.  
  
They silently crept down the hall, their eyes flicking this way and that, both on the lookout for trouble. After peering in a few cells and finding most of them empty or the occupants asleep, Angel and Buffy almost gave up. That was, until they heard a sound, coming from the cell across the hall and up one.  
  
Their eyes met and slowly they walked towards the door of the cell. In the pale light of the hallway, Buffy could see someone lying in front of it. As they got closer she could see it was a guard, dead, thanks to the stab wounds in his chest. His eyes were open wide and staring and Buffy felt sick just looking at him. She turned her head and felt Angel take her hand. She squeezed it gently and they crept forward until they were inside the door. The site that greeted them was shocking. A young boy was leaning over Leigh Anne. Holding a knife covered with blood.  
  
****************** 


	12. Part 11

Part 11:  
  
There was a loud crack as Angel's fist made contact with Brian's head. The boy fell to the ground and Buffy rushed forward to grab Leigh Anne.  
  
She reached the girl and knew by taking one look at her that she was in bad shape. Leigh Anne recognised her though and Buffy took that as a good sign.  
  
"Buffy?" Hearing her name whispered from dry, cracked lips Buffy leaned forward and stroked Leigh Anne's hair.  
  
"Yeah, it's me Leigh Anne. Everything's gonna be ok. We're gonna get you out of here."  
  
Leigh Anne nodded and Buffy was reminded of the first time they met. She smiled softly and walked over to where Angel was bending over Brian.  
  
"He's out of it."  
  
"Good." Buffy replied. "He deserves it after what he did to Leigh Anne."  
  
"Buffy he didn't…I mean, he…"  
  
"Shhh…" Buffy said, turning to face Leigh Anne, who had spoken. "You can explain it later, when we get home."  
  
"I don't think that will be happening!" Came a voice from the doorway and Buffy spun around in surprise.  
  
"Oh really? And why do you say that?" Buffy asked, watching the tall dark man in the door carefully as she moved into a fighting stance.  
  
"Because I intend to stop you." The man replied, entering the room, followed by Samson and another man, a younger looking man with a scar cutting across his face.  
  
"Oh yeah? You and what army?" Buffy said sarcastically as she spun around and kicked the nearest guy in the head, the young guy with the scar. He fell to the ground and Samson charged at Buffy, only to be thwarted by Angel. And a very angry Angel at that.  
  
Game face on, Angel grabbed Samson's arm as he tried to throw a punch and twisted behind the man's back. Samson yelled out in pain and fell to his knees.  
  
Meanwhile, Buffy had grabbed the younger man up again and threw a punch that connected with his jaw and a painful crack filled the room. The man fell to the ground and a hand clamped on Buffy's shoulder. She grabbed the man's wrist and flipped the tall dark man who had entered first to the ground. He was up in a flash and threw a punch, which Buffy expertly blocked.  
  
Angel knocked out his opponent in one simple punch and ran over to help Buffy. Creeping up behind the tall guy he punched him in the back of the head, causing him to fall forward. Buffy jumped back so as not to get trapped underneath him and almost fell over the younger guy with the scar who was creeping towards Leigh Anne.  
  
"Not so fast Scar Face!" Buffy cried and grabbed him by his hair, pulling him to his feet. She gave him a roundhouse kick to the head, causing his neck to snap with a sickening crack and he fell to the floor. Buffy spun around to help Angel, only to find him on the floor. She ran over to him and he shook his head.  
  
"Quick! Before he gets away!" Buffy turned to the door, just in time to see the tall man's jacket flap out of sight. She began to chase him but stopped as a siren filled the air.  
  
"There's no time!" Buffy called to Angel. "This place will be swarming with guards any second. Get Leigh Anne and let's get out of here!"  
  
Angel nodded and raced over to Leigh Anne who had fainted again in the fight. He picked her up gently and placed her over his shoulder. He raced out the door and Buffy went to follow but as she went to walk out the door, a moan echoed through the room, barely heard above the sirens.  
  
She turned back to see Brian clutching his head in agony and after a moment of thought she raced over to him and pulled him to his feet.  
  
"Come on!" She said roughly. "You're coming with us."  
  
And with that, the Slayer raced out the door, Brian behind her, Angel and Leigh Anne in front of her.  
  
**************** 


	13. Part 12

Part 12:  
  
The group hid, breathless, in the bush outside the Council headquarters, the only sound they made was the rapid intake of breath. They could see the guards racing around the courtyard looking for them and Buffy looked at Leigh Anne nervously. One hand still clamped warningly on Brian's shoulder; she leaned towards Angel, her voice little more than a whisper when she spoke.  
  
"We have to get her out of here. Now."  
  
Angel nodded and motioned for Buffy and Brian to follow him. He crept silently through the bushes, away from the building that loomed above them in the darkness. They continued until they reached the main road and Buffy looked around in despair. They were quite a while from the headquarters now but we're they would head now was unknown.  
  
"Where to now Angel?" Buffy cried in despair, breaking the silence that had followed them since she last spoke.  
  
Angel didn't say a word, just pointed towards a building in the distance and they slowly starting trudging towards it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What? Damien! How could you let this happen? That girl is a disgrace to this Council and Watchers over the world! How could you let them get away?"  
  
"Well if the guard hadn't fallen asleep we'd all be right, wouldn't we?" Damien snapped and immediately regretted it. The Chairman for the Watcher's Council spun around and the tall, dark kidnapper saw the anger in his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry sir. It's just been so frustrating! That Samson was strong, but a complete airhead! It was so difficult working with him. And the Slayer and her friends have taken the girl under their wing and are not going to let us get her back without a fight."  
  
"The Slayer and her friends!" The Chairman shook his head. "That's another problem. A Slayer isn't supposed to have friends! That girl might be the strongest Slayer yet, but all she does is cause problems! Her interest in that vampire is even worst."  
  
Damien nodded his head, a look of disgust on his face. Who ever heard of a Slayer in love with a Vampire? It was disgraceful.  
  
"As for her Watcher, don't even get me started on good old Ripper!" The man turned and gazed out the window, a look of deep thought on his face. "And the girl, do you have any ideas on getting her back?"  
  
Damien opened his mouth to speak and was interrupted by the door swinging open and a cockish young man strutting in.  
  
"I believe you won't have to worry about her anymore. I have just heard some news that will surely make you extremely happy Father!"  
  
Both men turned to face the young man and the Chairman smiled at the sight of his son. He was very proud of him; he had the makings of a fine Watcher.  
  
"And what might this news be young Gerald?" Damien asked, a look of jealousy crossing his face.  
  
"Lithos. He is after the girl. He is the one who killed Alyssa, the young girls mother."  
  
"We know who Alyssa is Gerald!" Damien said. "She was a Slayer remember!"  
  
Gerald nodded and turned to his father. "There is no way she will survive if he attacks her. We have been after this demon for centuries and no Slayer has ever come close to killing him. He will kill her and we shall not be blamed!"  
  
The Chairman nodded a smile creeping over his face. "Well done Gerald! Who would have thought that a demon might actually be helpful to us? We shall be rid of this disgrace once and for all!"  
  
************** 


	14. Part 13

Part 13:  
  
The pain in Leigh Anne's head was almost unbearable and she moaned in agony.  
  
"She's coming around."  
  
The voice echoed in her head and she cried out again. She felt something cool touch her hot forehead and she almost smiled in relief. Her eyes flickered painfully opened and everything appeared as a blur. She registered the fact that someone was bent over her and as her eyes adjusted she realised it was Buffy.  
  
"Hey sleepy head. Finally decide to join us huh?" Buffy's voice was light hearted and friendly but laced with concern. She spoke in a whisper, realising how much pain Leigh Anne must be in and she looked up at Angel who looked back at her with a solemn face. She was in bad shape and there was no way they could get her back home tonight; in this condition the spirits of the Ghost Roads would surely try to keep her with them.  
  
"I need my beauty sleep!" Leigh Anne said, her voice cracking and tears in her eyes. She made an attempt to smile and Buffy reached over to gently hug her, trying not to squeeze her too hard. As her own eyes filled with tears, Buffy could only imagine what this poor girl had gone through.  
  
"Hey Buff," Angel said, his voice quiet. "I think Leigh Anne needs some oxygen."  
  
Both girls try to laugh and failed miserably and Buffy pulled away from Leigh Anne just as there was a quiet rap on the door. Buffy looked at Angel in surprise.  
  
"I thought you arranged it so we wouldn't be disturbed?"  
  
"I did." Angel said and headed towards the door. After opening it he found an elderly lady there, a Mrs. McDoug, who he recognised as the lady he spoke to the night before. "Mrs. McDoug! Good Morning."  
  
"Good Morning." She replied, her face lighting up as she looked approvingly at the polite young man. Being an elderly, old-fashioned woman, she wasn't used to finding someone who lived up to her expectations of young people but when she did she let them know she approved. "I was wondering if you needed anything? I noticed last night that your young friend was injured. Now I'm not meaning to pry, how she got hurt is your business but I thought you might need some of this."  
  
She held out a tray she had been holding and on it was a small bowl full of soup and another full of cool water. With his vampire sense of smell, Angel realised it was salt water and there was a bandages and other supplies on the tray as well. Angel smiled appreciatively at the old woman who gave him a friendly nod back.  
  
"Thank you so much ma'am." Angel said as he took the tray but a look of surprise crossed his face when the woman kept a strong hold on it.  
  
"If you don't mind," She said in a quiet but firm voice. "I'd rather clean up the young girl myself. She looked really bad and I am used to these kinds of things. May I?"  
  
Angel nodded and the lady walked into the dark room, the vampire following. She placed the tray at the end of the bed, barely noticing the curious looks Buffy and Brian sent her way.  
  
"First of all," The old woman said, her eyes flicking to the closed drapes. "We need some light!" She walked over as if to open the curtains but she stopped at the sound of Buffy's cry.  
  
"NO! Umm, I mean, my friend here has a really bad headache and the sunlight will hurt her eyes."  
  
The old woman nodded and without turning around she spoke, but it was so quiet that it seemed like she was almost talking to herself.  
  
"Mm hmm. I thought so."  
  
Buffy looked at Angel with a look of concern on her face and Angel smiled at her as if to say 'Stop worrying so much Buffy!' Yeah, stop worrying so much. Right-o! I have a vampire, a kidnapper, an old suspicious lady and an injured Council enemy all in the same room. Everything is peachy-keen! Buffy thought without humour.  
  
Mrs. McDoug walked over to Leigh Anne who had closed her eyes again, the many pains over her body overwhelming. She began to clean the cuts on Leigh Anne's face and the young girl flinched as the cold salt water touched her face.  
  
"There, there Miss, everything will be okay. It will only sting for a moment."  
  
Buffy moved closer to Leigh Anne and held her hand, which was squeezed hard almost straight away, as the cool cloth touched her face again. Buffy looked towards Angel and motioned with her head for him and Brian to leave the room. Angel nodded and got the hidden message in Buffy's request. She wanted him to find out as much as he could about what had happened to Leigh Anne.  
  
Angel walked over to Brian and motioned for him to stand up. The boy did so, fear in his eyes, for he had seen Angel's demon side in battle and didn't dare disobey him. They left the room, the door swinging shut behind them and Buffy caught Brian taking one last look at Leigh Anne. The look on his face was a mixture of pain, hope, sorrow and longing, all which confused Buffy. But she did not have time to dwell on it as her hand was squeezed yet again by Leigh Anne and a whimper pasted through the young girl's closed lips.  
  
Mrs. McDoug finished cleaning Leigh Anne's many wounds and Buffy sighed in relief. Many of the cuts and bruises looked nowhere near as bad as they had and Leigh Anne had gotten a little colour back. The old women left the room, taking with her the dirty cloths and water and promised to return in a minute. Just as the door was about to swing close behind her, a hand pushed it open and Angel entered the room again, Brian being pushed in front of him.  
  
"It's useless." Angel said, moving over to where Buffy was seated next to the bed. "He reckons he had nothing to do with it and he was just trying to help her."  
  
Buffy turned to glare at Brian who was standing nervously, unsure of what to do. She saw that he was looking at Leigh Anne again and for a moment she believe his story. But then the image of him bending over the limp body of Giles' daughter, knife in hand, flashed before her eyes and her blood boiled with anger again.  
  
"Why were you standing over her with a knife huh? A knife covered with blood? You were the only one in the room!"  
  
"I was trying to get her out of there! The knife was for untying her and the blood was that of the guard. How else do you think he died?" Brian's voice rose in anger that these people would think that he would hurt Leigh Anne. Buffy opened her mouth to reply but the words that were heard did not come from her mouth.  
  
"It's true Buffy, he didn't hurt me."  
  
All eyes turned to Leigh Anne as she struggled to sit up and Angel ran over to help her and the young girl noticed him for the first time.  
  
"A – Angel? What are you doing here?" Leigh Anne's eyes opened wide with surprise and Angel grinned at her.  
  
"Wow, you've certainly grown since I last saw you Annie!"  
  
Leigh Anne blushed at his pet name for her when she was a child and a grin broke over her face. Angel grinned back, glad that the fire he had known her for was slowly creeping back. She had been around 8 when he had left for LA and he was proud of the young girl she had become. He opened his mouth to say more but saw Buffy gesturing at him urgently and his face became serious.  
  
"If he wasn't there to hurt you Annie, why was he there and how did he know where you were?" Angel stepped back out of Leigh Anne's view so that Brian could be seen. At the sight of the young boy, Leigh Anne's face broke into a grin and she turned to Angel in amusement.  
  
"Angel, I would like you to meet Brian O'Donahue." Seeing Angel's confused look her grin widened and she winced, smiling was painful.  
  
"He's Gregory's son Angel." She explained.  
  
"Gregory has a son?" Angel asked, looking from Leigh Anne to Brian and back to Leigh Anne again. Leigh Anne nodded and Brian stepped forward, his hand outstretched. Angel took it and shook it heartily, stopping when he noticed pain flick across the young boy's face.  
  
"You must be the ever talked about Angel!" Brian said, smiling. "Alyssa never stopped talking about how much you did for them, my father had a lot to live up to!"  
  
At that comment, Angel blushed and Buffy grinned. How he hated compliments!  
  
"Your father is a great man Brian. Where is he? I figured he would be here now that Alyssa…" Angel's sentenced trailed away, partially because of what he was about to say and partially because of the look of sadness that crossed Brian's face.  
  
"He died a year ago, shortly before Alyssa was…killed." He cleared his throat and blinked away tears, not looking the vampire in the eye. "I have taken his place, training to be a Watcher like him and looking after Leigh Anne and her mother."  
  
His eyes roamed towards Leigh Anne who was looking at Angel, watching to see how he took this news.  
  
"Unfortunately I have failed. I let Alyssa die and Leigh Anne get captured and…" Brian's sentence was interrupted by Leigh Anne's angry voice.  
  
"It's not your fault Brian and it never was so stop talking like that at once!" She looked at Brian, her face stern but her eyes full of sadness. "You did the best you could to look after us and if it wasn't for you I would be dead."  
  
"If it was for the fact that I left to become a Watcher your mother would be alive and you wouldn't be in this position!"  
  
"If you hadn't left to become a Watcher you wouldn't have been at the Council Chambers when I needed you most and I would still be locked in their prison!"  
  
The two voice's had risen in argument and Buffy and Angel looked on uncomfortably. It was obvious it was not their right to interfere but something would have to be done soon or the strength Leigh Anne had gained back would be lost. Buffy looked at Angel and he read in her eyes what she wanted him to do. He opened his mouth to speak and for the second time that morning, there was a quiet rap on the door and this time Mrs. McDoug didn't wait for an answer. She walked in, not noticing the scene around her and walked straight over to Leigh Anne's side. She handed the angry teenager a mug full of soup and told her to drink it. Leigh Anne did so; not daring to disobey the old but determined woman.  
  
Mrs. McDoug then turned to Brian and Buffy asking them if they would like some tea. Both shook their head and the old woman tsked and made them a cup anyway then turned to face Angel.  
  
"I seem to be having a rat problem in my roof. Would you go and have a look at it for me young man?"  
  
***************** 


	15. Part 14

Part 14:  
  
"Huh? I mean," Angel coughed. "Excuse me?"  
  
Mrs. McDoug looked around the room at the astonished faces around her and decided not to keep them in the dark anymore.  
  
"I said, I have a rat problem in my roof could you go and have a look at it for me. And be careful, I have some old clothes up there and it would be a killer to get any stains out of them." She looked at Angel and grinned. "Go on! I'll explain when you get back, you must be starving."  
  
Angel nodded and left the room with a bewildered look on his face, a look mirrored on the faces of those around him. Seeing the looks around her, Mrs. McDoug grinned and turned to face Buffy.  
  
"I suppose you are all wondering what is going on aren't you?" Seeing bewildered faces nodding, the old woman continued. "I'm a member of the Watcher's Council."  
  
Seeing Buffy about to open her mouth Mrs. McDoug raised her hand to silence her. "Or should I say, I used to be. My Slayer died about 3 Slayer's ago and I haven't been a Watcher since. I saw the way you reacted to me opening the curtains and I figured your friend there was a vampire. And seeing that he isn't attacking anyone I guessed that either you are all on the side of evil or you my dear," turning back to Buffy. "Are the famous Buffy Summers."  
  
Buffy blushed at that and Leigh Anne looked at her in amusement.  
  
"Oh so you're famous are you Buffy?"  
  
Mrs. McDoug chuckled and Buffy went even brighter red. The old woman turned to Leigh Anne and smiled kindly at her. "Seeing the state you're in, I gather you are the escapee that we have all been put on the alert for which means that you," she turned to Brian. "Are Gregory O'Donahue's son."  
  
Brian nodded and Mrs. McDoug looked around at the strange group gathered around her spare room in amusement.  
  
"Well you sure are a group of mischief makers aren't you? The Council has sent out a notice about you and everything. You had better get out of here as soon as possible. How did you get here from America so fast anyway?"  
  
"Ghost Roads." Buffy said and all three looked at her in surprise.  
  
"The Ghost Roads?" Brian and Mrs. McDoug cried at the same time.  
  
"Yeah…The Ghost Roads…is there something wrong with that?" Buffy replied.  
  
"What are the Ghost Roads?" Leigh Anne asked quietly.  
  
"The Ghost Roads are the roads between this world and the next, sort of a limbo area. They lead to Hell, Heaven and the Otherworld and there are breaches to them all over the world." Brian said and the ex-Watcher looked at him in approvement.  
  
"No one has ever travelled them and survived." Mrs. McDoug added and turned to Buffy who was sitting with a smirk on her face. "Until now."  
  
"Well I hate to break it to you." Buffy said as she stood up. "But we have done it many times!"  
  
The door opened and Angel walked in looking sheepish. "Hey guys."  
  
"Welcome back vampire." Mrs. McDoug said, enjoying the confused look on Angel's face. "You must be the famous Angelus though I hear that's not what you go by nowadays."  
  
Angel nodded. "It's Angel." He muttered and turned to look at Buffy.  
  
"They're on their way here, we better get going."  
  
"But how?" Buffy cried. "Only ones touched by the supernatural can travel the Ghost Roads unless they are giving Safe Passage and even if we knew the spell for that we can't take Leigh Anne through them like this, they would surely try to keep her."  
  
"I can perform the Ritual of Safe Passage." Mrs. McDoug answered. "I was very interested in the Ghost Roads when I was a Watcher and I learnt all I could about them in case Alyson had to use them one day. She was my Slayer." She explained.  
  
"But what about Leigh?" Brian asked quietly. No matter how much they had fought when they were younger, Leigh Anne was his responsibility and as much as he hated to admit it, he cared for her and didn't want to lose her. Seeing her like this almost tore him inside, he wished she was back to her smart-aleck self.  
  
"If you are given Safe Passage the lost spirits can't touch you. Or that's how it's supposed to work anyway." The ex-Watcher replied and Angel nodded.  
  
"We have to take the chance Buffy, who knows what will happen if we don't leave now."  
  
Buffy nodded and Angel walked over to Leigh Anne who was still looking pretty weak in the bed.  
  
"Are you up to it Annie?"  
  
The 16-year-old nodded, fear in her blue eyes. "Anything to get me away from here."  
  
Angel nodded and turned to face Mrs. McDoug. "Have you got the Ritual here?"  
  
"I believe so." She replied. "Let me check, I'll be back as soon as possible."  
  
She rushed out of the room, leaving the other four in an uncomfortable silence. Buffy cleared her face and turned to Brian.  
  
"I, um, I'm sorry for blaming you it's just…" Her sentence broke off and Brian nodded.  
  
"I know. I'm glad Leigh has friends that care about her that much."  
  
"Brian?" Leigh Anne asked quietly and the 17-year-old boy turned to face her.  
  
"Yeah? What is it Leigh?" Brian asked, his voice worried.  
  
"I found him."  
  
"You found who?"  
  
"Dad. I found him." Leigh Anne said and her bright blue eyes filled with tears. "I finally found him."  
  
Brian quickly looked at Buffy who nodded, smiling, and he ran over to give Leigh Anne a hug.  
  
"Leigh! That's great!"  
  
"I know," She sniffed, half crying, half laughing. "You'll get to meet him."  
  
"How? Leigh, I have to stay here."  
  
"You can't." Mrs. McDoug interrupted, walking back into the room with a big book in her arms. "The Council will punish you severely. You are a Watcher and you helped a prisoner escape."  
  
She turned to Buffy and Angel who were standing near each other but far enough apart that they looked uncomfortable. "We must begin. Now."  
  
Angel nodded and walked over to help Leigh Anne.  
  
"Where's the nearest breach?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Right here believe it or not." The old woman smiled secretively. "That's actually one of the reason's I bought this house but don't tell the Council that. I was meaning to try them out one day but the Council has forbidden anyone travel them."  
  
"Oh well, we break another rule!" Buffy said, a grin on her face. "So, let's get started!"  
  
****************** 


	16. Part 15

Part 15:  
  
"They'll be fine Giles." Willow said, her voice strained. "They're probably on their way home now."  
  
"Yeah any minute now they'll be dropping through the roof." Xander said glumly.  
  
Giles just sat there, head in hands glasses hanging from his fingers. Almost in chorus all three of them sighed and jumped up startled as a loud rip was heard from the other room. Running in the direction of the sound they froze when they saw a very tired Buffy and Angel, a teenage boy and a badly hurt Leigh Anne.  
  
"Well they didn't drop through the roof but this is close enough!" Xander said, a grin forming on his face.  
  
"Shut up Xander!" Willow cried as she rushed forward to give her best friend a welcome back hug. Buffy returned the hug then turned to face Giles.  
  
"Giles, spare bedroom, now. Our little trip took a lot out of Leigh Anne and she needs to rest now." Seeing Giles staring, confused, at Brian she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Explaining later Giles, spare room now."  
  
Giles snapped out of his little dreamland and looked at his daughter in concern. "Why yes, yes of course. This way, quickly."  
  
Angel followed Giles upstairs while Xander and Willow looked at Buffy expectantly.  
  
"Well?" Xander asked impatiently as Buffy flopped down on the couch.  
  
"Sit down." She said to Brian who was looking nervously around. He did so and Buffy smiled at him then turned her gaze to Xander.  
  
"Glass of water?" She asked, smiling sweetly at him.  
  
Xander growled in pretend annoyance. "You're lucky I like you so much Summers."  
  
Both girls watched as he left the room then Willow turned to Buffy expectantly.  
  
"Oh no Willow! You're not going to get it out of me until everyone is back."  
  
"Damn!" Willow grumbled good-naturedly. "Don't I get special privileges? I'm your best friend after all!"  
  
"Sorry Will, you'll have to wait." Buffy said, grinning just as Xander walked back into the room, glass of water in hand. He handed it to Buffy who sighed in contentment.  
  
"You're a lifesaver Xander!"  
  
"Don't I know it! Your night in shinning armour, that's me!" Xander said, grinning and only half joking. He looked towards Brian and Buffy suddenly noticed that she hadn't introduced him.  
  
"Oh! Sorry!" She said and turned to Brian. "Brian, this is Willow and Xander. You guys, this is Brian. He's a friend of Leigh Anne's."  
  
The two Scooby members smiled at Brian and he smiled back at them nervously. When the door opened and Angel and Giles entered, all eyes turned to them questioningly.  
  
"She's fine." Angel said, speaking to all of them but looking at Buffy.  
  
"Good." Buffy said, looking away from Angel and turning to the others. "Okay guys, you might want to sit down."  
  
*************** 


	17. Part 16

Part 16:  
  
"Wow!" For once that was the only thing Xander could say.  
  
"I'll second that!" Willow said, shaking her head as if in amazement. "So what are you going to do now?"  
  
Buffy sighed. "Well first I'm gonna find this demon, Lithos or whatever his name is, and kill him. But before I do that, I need to know how to kill him. Did you guys find anything while I was away?"  
  
Buffy looked pointedly at Giles who had removed his glasses and was rubbing his head. She felt a pang of sympathy for him; he had been through a lot. The past few days must have been hell for him.  
  
"Ah, yes. Yes we did."  
  
"Who did?" Xander asked, a smirk on his face.  
  
Giles smiled tightly. "So sorry, Xander found something."  
  
Buffy sent an amused look in Xander's direction and put on a fake serious face. "Well what are you standing around for? Go get it!"  
  
"Yes sir!" Xander said, saluting then his face became sheepish. "I mean, ma'am."  
  
Buffy grinned. "Just get it Xander!"  
  
The Slayerette nodded and headed off to find where he had placed the book. Buffy shook her head, grinning and turned back to Angel.  
  
"Will she be okay or will she need a doctor?"  
  
"She'll be fine." Angel replied quietly. "She just needs lots of rest and someone to keep changing the bandages on her wounds."  
  
Buffy nodded and Willow stood up quietly.  
  
"Sit down Giles." She said, her voice low. "Do you want some tea?"  
  
Giles smiled at her gratefully and moved to take a seat opposite Buffy and motioned Angel to sit next to the petite Slayer. He did so awkwardly and Giles smiled at how embarrassed the two were around each other.  
  
"Ah yes, a cup of tea would be smashing thank you Willow. I'm rather worn out and I didn't even do anything."  
  
"You worried Giles." Buffy said quietly. "That's enough to wear anyone out."  
  
"Indeed." Giles said, his mind going over the agony of waiting that he had been through the past few days.  
  
Willow left the room after asking if anyone else wanted tea. Everyone had shook their heads and she had left, bumping into Xander on the way in.  
  
"So…" Xander said, flipping through the pages of an ancient looking book. "I found it."  
  
All heads around the silent room snapped up and all eyes focused on the lean, dark headed teen in the doorway. Buffy stood quickly and walked over to stand next to the boy she had come to know as a good friend.  
  
"Well? What does it say?"  
  
*************** 


	18. Part 17

Part 17:  
  
"So, to kill him, you need to use his own weapon against him. Right?" Buffy asked, sitting on the arm of the couch looking thoughtful.  
  
Xander scanned the text quickly again and nodded.  
  
"And he's a form of dragon right?" Xander nodded again and handed Giles the book as he reached for it.  
  
"He also goes by the of Typhon, the Child of the Earth." Giles read. " 'His hands are busy with the works of strength and unwearied are the mighty God's feet: and from his shoulders grew a hundred serpents heads, heads of a dread dragon the licked with dusky tongues and from the eyes of his wondrous heads fire flashed beneath his brows and from all his heads fire burned as he glared. And in all his terrible heads were voices that uttered all manner of cries unspeakable.' "  
  
"A hundred heads? Ewww!" Anya's voice broke Giles' recitation and all heads swivelled towards her as up till now she had been silent. "What?"  
  
Xander shook his head and Buffy opened her mouth to speak again.  
  
"Anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted by Giles' show of knowledge…" She looked at her ex-Watcher pointedly and he gave her a look that said 'I thought you would need to know that' then she continued. "Because he is a form of dragon all we have to do is use his fire against him, right?" Buffy gazed around the room looking quite pleased with herself.  
  
"In essence, yes, that is pretty much what the text was saying. If he uses fire as his weapon then that is what we need to use against him." Giles admitted, trying to hide the fact that he was pleased and proud of Buffy.  
  
"That's a lot of fire." Angel said quietly. "He has a hundred heads! You're not going to be able to do this alone Buffy."  
  
Buffy ignored him and instead concentrated on what her Watcher had said.  
  
"Admit it Giles. I was right. Gone on, say it! I want to hear you say it, it gives me a happy!" Buffy stirred Giles whose face started to red and didn't notice the hurt look on Angel's face.  
  
"Fine." Giles said begrudgingly. "You were right."  
  
"Whoo hoo!" Buffy cried, her face breaking out in a grin. "There, now that wasn't so hard was it? Why can't you say that more often?"  
  
"Why can't you be right more often?" Giles threw back, a grin on his face. Xander and Willow smiled at each other softly. It was good to see him smile and relax again now that everyone was back safe and sound.  
  
"Okay." Buffy said after her and Giles threw a few more quips at each other and everyone was laughing heartily. She wiped her eyes. "I better go and kill this thing. Tonight if possible."  
  
"I agree." Giles said, suddenly serious again. "Until it is dead it is a threat to not only Leigh Anne but everyone, including all of us."  
  
"Fine." Buffy said. "I'll leave now. Where is your weapons stored Giles?"  
  
"No." All heads swivelled towards the door. "Let me do it Buffy."  
  
************* 


	19. Part 18

Part 18:  
  
No one had heard the door open or notice Leigh Anne approach. She looked so tiny in a white night gown of Buffy's. So pale and fragile that she had the attention of all four males in the room, watching to make sure she didn't collapse.  
  
"You know you can't Leigh Anne." Buffy said quietly, her voice full of sympathy. "You're too weak."  
  
"He killed my mother." Leigh Anne said sternly, her eyes flashing. "I need to do this!"  
  
Buffy noticed the young girl trying to hide back tears and her heart went out to her. But there was no way she was going to let her go to her death in a foolish game of revenge.  
  
"No Leigh Anne."  
  
"You don't understand!" Leigh Anne cried out, her pain obvious in her eyes. "You still have your mother! I don't! He took her from me and she was all I had!"  
  
She suddenly broke down, her whole body shaking with the force of her sobs. Her father and Buffy both rose at the same time but Brian was by her side in a flash and took her out of the room. The silence that remained after they left was filled with a feeling of sadness, sympathy and guilt. Giles left the room quickly, walking out to the kitchen but not before Buffy got a glimpse of the tears in his eyes that he tried so hard to hide.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Brian held his childhood friend while she cried. When she finally fell quiet and she lifted her head to look at him, Brian saw in her eyes a look that shouldn't belong in the eyes of someone her age. It was a look of pain and suffering that should be in the eyes of someone who is so old they have watched all the friends and loved ones die and just wanted peace now, not in the eyes of a sixteen-year-old girl. He hurt him to see her like this. No matter how many times he had teased and taunted her in the past, no matter how much they had hated each other in their childhood, he had learned to love her and it cut him up inside every time she was hurt, whether it be physical or emotional.  
  
"You know you can't do this don't you Leigh?"  
  
"I have to Brian." Her eyes pleaded with him. "I need to hurt him as much as he hurt me."  
  
Brian sighed. "If you were to go on this errand of revenge you would die Annie. I can't lose you. Your friends can't lose you. And as for your father, he just found you Leigh, don't make him lose you all over again."  
  
Leigh Anne's blue eyes filled with tears again and she turned them away from Brian's sympathetic gaze.  
  
"What can I do then Brian? I need to do something, I…" Her voice suddenly cut out and she went limp in his arms.  
  
"Leigh Anne? Leigh? Wake up!" Brian's voice rose in concern and the door flung open at the sound of it.  
  
"Brian! What happened?" Willow gazed down at the unconscious girl in shock. "Never mind… Xander! Xander get here now!"  
  
She needn't have called. The teenager was by her side before the sentence was out of her mouth. He lifted the fragile frame of Leigh Anne and carried her to the couch. Hearing the commotion Buffy and Giles ran in to find Angel checking her pulse.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*(( Leigh Anne looked around her in amazement. Though the place was unrecognisable to her she seemed to know exactly where she was. When she heard a voice speaking her name in a soft, loving voice she knew who it was at once and spun around at once, her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears and joy.  
  
"Mother? Mama where are you?" She looked around her in expectance but could see no one. "Mama? I need you please…"  
  
"I am here my child. Can you not see me?"  
  
"No Mother, please, let me see you!" Leigh Anne pleaded, her voice choked up with tears. "I…I need you Mama."  
  
"I know you do child, that is why you are here. You seek revenge am I right?"  
  
Leigh Anne nodded, her eyes cast downwards. "For you Mama. I need him to know what he did when he took you from me."  
  
Her mother's sweet tinkling laugh could be heard and her voice was gentle when she spoke.  
  
"He helped us my daughter. By letting me leave the world as you know it, he gave me a gift. And that gift is that I can watch over you. Every second of every day, whenever you feel alone or hurt or like you can't go on anymore I am there for you. And I am able to help you. More then I ever was before. I know you feel like he took me from you but in truth he bought us closer. You must feel no regret, my child, nor seek any revenge. He will be punished and bought to justice in time."  
  
A single tear rolled down Leigh Anne's face and she sank to the ground. "I miss you Mama."  
  
"I know you do, my sweet, and I miss being able to hold you and kiss you and tell you everything will be alright when you are afraid. But I will always be with you Leigh Anne and a part of me survives. In you.  
  
Now, on to this demon, this Lithos as he calls himself nowadays. Your friends are right Leigh Anne, in the fact that he must be killed with his own weapon. But you are the only one who can do it. You must use your wit and strength to outsmart him and destroy him."  
  
"But I have no strength Mama! I am at this minute weak and in pain back at home. My friends refuse to let me help!"  
  
"That has all been arranged my child. You will awake refreshed and ready for action. You must remember all that I have taught you and many things you have learnt since then. You must not let him get the better of you. He will try to deceive you and you must see through his plans. Try your best my darling and remember I love you always and I am with you forever."  
  
"Thank you Mama." Leigh Anne whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I love you."  
  
There was a glow of brilliant white light and suddenly there was a delicate necklace around Leigh Anne's neck. It was a small cross, made of tiny blue stones.  
  
"It will keep you safe as much as possible Leigh Anne, do not take it off or let it be taken from you. As long as it is in you possession it will allow you to see through any illusions this monster may use. You must leave now my child. Good luck."  
  
As the image began to fade around her Leigh Anne heard one last thing before she awoke…  
  
"Say hello to your father for me…" ))*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Leigh Anne heard voices around her, worried, hushed voices as her eyes flicked open and she sat up slowly.  
  
"Leigh Anne?" Brian asked quietly, his voice full of shock and amazement. "But how…"  
  
Brian's sentence cut off because, there in front of them, Leigh Anne sat as healthy as ever a smile playing across her face and a necklace around her neck that had never been there before.  
  
As she was bombarded with questions, Leigh Anne raised her hand and looked towards her father. The group fell quiet and Leigh Anne's voice was quiet when she spoke.  
  
"Mama said hello."  
  
And that was all she would say on the subject."  
  
*********** 


	20. Part 19

Part 19:  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this Annie?" Angel asked quietly. "Buffy can still do it you know."  
  
They were hide behind the bushes in the darken Sunnydale Cemetery, just metres from where Buffy had first seen Leigh Anne battling with Lithos.  
  
"I don't have a choice Angel. I have to do this. And yes, I want to." Leigh Anne's voice was strong and stern and no one questioned her again though they all knew how scared she was, for they were all feeling the same.  
  
Suddenly all their thoughts were interrupted as a bright purple flash appeared against the night sky. There was a sharp intake of breath and the same thought was on all of their minds. This was it. The final showdown.  
  
As Leigh Anne stepped out from behind the bushes, a sword held tightly in her hands, all eyes were upon her. When Lithos saw her he let out a loud roar of laughter, all of his hundred heads threw back and howled.  
  
"You really think that flimsy thing will hurt me child? You are as stupid as your mother." His hundred voices taunted. "I will kill you before the night is through, child, and you will join your mother in death!"  
  
"You wish!" Leigh Anne cried through gritted teeth as she held her chin high and raced towards him, sword displayed. "Come on Lithos, show me what you've got!"  
  
She charged forward just as another laugh split the air and Lithos transform before her. He took on the shape of Samson and he continued to taunt her.  
  
"Remember this face Leigh Anne? I will hurt you a thousand more times then he did child and I will enjoy every minute."  
  
Leigh Anne winced then remembered what her mother told her. She reached up to grasp her necklace and Lithos became his ugly self again.  
  
"Well done child. Maybe you are not as stupid as your mother! But I will kill anyway!" He cried as he lifted his many heads and let out a hundred flames of fire, one from each of his hundred mouths.  
  
"NOW!" Leigh Anne yelled, jumping out of the way. The rest of the gang, having waited patiently for Leigh Anne's signal, jumped out from behind the bushes, each brandishing a large shield. There was a howl of pain as Lithos' own flames struck him in full force, having bounced off each shield to return on the path they had come from. And Lithos lay still.  
  
"Is he dead?" Anya asked, her voice barely a whisper.  
  
"I don't know." Leigh Anne replied and grabbed Angel's arm as he stepped forward to investigate. "No, I will."  
  
As she stepped towards the still body of the Child of the Earth she felt a tremor of dread pass through her body and knew what was going to happen before it did. Lithos' hand sent her flying backwards and she gasped in pain. She pushed herself to sit up and afterwards wished she hadn't. for in front of her stood someone she loved dearly. Her mother.  
  
She immediately reached for her necklace, ignoring the cries of confusion and anger behind her, just wishing this vision to be gone. As her fingers grasped thin air she looked over her shoulder to find her necklace out of reach, the chain broken.  
  
"No…" She whispered hoarsely. "NO!"  
  
There was no way she could do this. Looking at the face of her mother standing in front of her, she knew there was no way she could kill him. It was over.  
  
"It's over child." His hundred voices echoed her thoughts and she stared up at him in dread, frozen to the spot. "It's time for you to die."  
  
"NO!" Leigh Anne recognised Buffy's voice but had no idea that her friend was being held back by Angel. He knew this was Leigh Anne's fight and that only she could end it. "NO LEIGH ANNE! Don't let him do this! He is not your mother! Do you hear me? HE IS NOT YOUR MOTHER!"  
  
Suddenly Giles' words echoed in her head. You must defeat him with his own weapon. This was his weapon. His weapon was her mother.  
  
Leigh Anne closed her eyes and prayed to her mother silently. Come on Mama. You said you were always with me and you survived in me! Well now it's time to show yourself in me and defeat this monster!  
  
Leigh Anne felt herself go limp and something else take over her body.  
  
Well done my child. I am proud of you. Now sleep while I finish this monster forever!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Buffy gasped and Willow lifted her head from Xander's shoulder.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"She's getting up!" Angel cried in amazement.  
  
The gang watched, memorised as the person they believed to be Leigh Anne got up fighting strong to destroy the thing who had taken the face of her mother. She succeeded and the cheered, tears rolling down their faces, as the monster cried one hundred howls of defeat and went crashing to the ground.  
  
Suddenly Giles pushed through them and raced to his daughter. She had collapsed and he ran to her side and lifted her head.  
  
"Rupert?" Leigh Anne's mouth asked, but it was not her voice that spoke.  
  
"A...Alyssa?" Giles cried as his throat choked up with tears. "Oh my sweet Alyssa!"  
  
Tears rolled down his cheeks as Leigh Anne's hand reached up to wipe them away.  
  
"Feel no guilt Rupert, it was not your fault. You have been forgiven of everything. No that I love you." Her voice became weaker and her hand fell to the ground. "Take care of her Rupert."  
  
Leigh Anne's eyes closed and Giles' tears cleaned her face. After a few seconds pause Giles composed his self and called to Angel, his voice breaking.  
  
Angel left the group who were standing in shock and ran over to his friend's side.  
  
"Carry her home Angel."  
  
**************** 


	21. Part 20

Part 20:  
  
"How did you do it Leigh?" Xander asked in amazement.  
  
"You all saw how I did it." Leigh Anne replied, looking at her father. The gang had believed that it was she who had destroyed Lithos and she had not told them otherwise. It was a secret between her and her father, one she would never reveal.  
  
"Okay," Giles broke in. "It's time to let her get some rest don't you think?"  
  
It had been several days since the battle in the graveyard and Leigh Anne was still weak. Buffy and Co. had visited her everyday and Leigh Anne and Giles had used the time together to catch up on everything they had missed. They were quite close now and Buffy couldn't believe the change in Giles.  
  
"Anyway," Giles continued. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"  
  
Groans met this answer and Xander and Buffy smirked.  
  
"No classes today!" Buffy cried in delight.  
  
"Well I don't have any classes at all!" Xander answered.  
  
Buffy's answer was to stick out her tongue and Giles grinned. Will they ever grow up?  
  
"Well it's time for you all to leave anyway." Giles looked towards the young man who had been by Leigh Anne's side as often as he could. "Except you of course Brian."  
  
"Hey! Why does he get special privileges?" Xander asked in mock annoyance. The answer was a swat across his head by Willow and a push out the door by Anya.  
  
"Okay! Okay! I can take a hint!"  
  
Leigh Anne, Giles and Brian heard their voices echoing from down the hall and a grin appeared on all their faces. Giles began to leave and as he closed the door he took on last look at his daughter.  
  
"I'll bring you lunch up later ok Leigh?" At his daughter's nod he left the room, leaving the pair alone.  
  
Silence reigned for a few moments until Brian walked over and sat on Leigh Anne's bed.  
  
"So…how ya feeling?"  
  
"Great! I don't have to start school until next term now." Was Leigh Anne cheeky answer and then grin that accompanied it was just as cheeky.  
  
"Good on ya!" Brian said sarcastically as he hit her lightly on the arm. "Do you know what happens to people who are cheeky to the one person who knows that they are ticklish?"  
  
Leigh Anne's blue eyes widened as she saw Brian's fingers start to wiggle.  
  
"No, Brian, NO! You know I hate being…" Her sentence was cut off as Brian's finger connected with her stomached but him managed to finish it for her.  
  
"Tickled??"  
  
Leigh Anne squealed with laughter as Brian continued to tickle her relentlessly.  
  
"STOP IT!! Brian! STOP!"  
  
They landed in a heap on the floor, Brian on top of Leigh Anne, pinning her down.  
  
"Not until you say…" His sentence cut off as he looked into her laughing blue eyes.  
  
"Until I say what Brian?"  
  
Slowly he leaned forward, still staring deep into her eyes.  
  
"Not until you admit you love me."  
  
His lips connected with hers and he was shocked to find she kissed him back with more passion then he ever hoped to dream she could have for him. They pulled away from each other and he grinned at the cheeky look in Leigh Anne's eyes.  
  
"I don't love you Brian."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Brian asked, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, in fact I don't even like you!"  
  
"Bad answer!" Brian said as Leigh Anne's squeals filled the air again. "Next time you know to tell the truth!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Buffy leaned her head against the bricks, her stake twirling in her hand.  
  
"I thought I'd find you here."  
  
Buffy spun around, stake ready but dropped it when she saw who it was.  
  
"A…Angel." She stuttered.  
  
"Glad you still remember my name."  
  
"Yeah well how could I forget? You're the one who left me when I need you right?"  
  
"Don't Buffy."  
  
"Don't what? Don't love you? Don't be mad at you?"  
  
"Don't do this. I just came to say good bye."  
  
Her piercing eyes stared into his and he stretched out his hand.  
  
"Just one dance?"  
  
In spite of herself Buffy felt her hand slip into his as he led her into the Bronze and onto the dance floor. He pulled her into his arms and she almost let herself go, almost let all her emotions out.  
  
As they danced together in the dim light of the Bronze, she focused on the words of the song playing and almost cried when she realised how fitting they were for Angel's good bye…  
  
**If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry  
  
And if I'm gone when you wake up, it's not good bye  
  
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress  
  
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…**  
  
Her eyes met those of her Angel's and she could tell he was thinking the same thing. If only this wasn't goodbye…  
  
** If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry  
  
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why  
  
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress  
  
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…  
  
If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry  
  
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why  
  
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress  
  
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…  
  
And though my flesh is gone  
  
I'll still be with you at all times  
  
And though my body's gone  
  
I'll be there to comfort you at all times  
  
If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry  
  
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why  
  
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress  
  
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…  
  
I don't want you to cry and weep  
  
I want you to go on living your life  
  
Cause in your heart you have all of our good times  
  
If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry  
  
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why  
  
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress  
  
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…**  
  
********************** 


End file.
